Partnerships Senior Officer - Liaison

Partnerships Senior Officer - Liaison

Job categoriesPartnerships

Vacancy codeVA/2022/B5010/24623

Department/office ECR, AUMCO, Austria

Duty stationDushanbe, Tajikistan

Contract typeLocal ICA Specialist

Contract levelLICA Specialist-9

DurationRetainer

Application period13-Sep-2022 to 27-Sep-2022

Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement.

Background Information - Job-specific

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners' peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organisations. With over 6,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, where they need it. By implementing around 1,000 projects for our partners at any given time, UNOPS makes significant contributions to results on the ground, often in the most challenging environments.

The Austria Multi-Country Office (AUMCO) was set up in August 2019 as a part of the UNOPS Europe & Central Asia Region (ECR). Specifically, AUMCO aims to enable achievement of Agenda 2030 and the Paris Agreement through global programmes and tailored interventions in the Balkans, South Caucasus, and Central Asia, focused on:

● Infrastructure

● Procurement

● Project Management (full service, back on track)

● HR and Transactional Services

● Grants Management

● Technical and Advisory Services

Under the direct supervision of the Partnerships Specialist, the incumbent should be an organized, efficient, and communicative Liaison Officer to coordinate between UNOPS and Government entities. In this role, the incumbent will act as the middle person between UNOPS and the different Ministries to support acquisition of new business, streamline operations, resolve issues, improve communications, and generally ensure that the relationships are mutually beneficial. S/he may be asked to provide similar services to other AUMCO activities in Central Asia and elsewhere.

Functional Responsibilities

The Partnerships Senior Officer will assist the AUMCO management team (and relevant BD consultants, as applicable) and provide a range of government relations services to ensure rapid and compliant delivery of all aspects of the AUMCO operations in the areas of responsibilities, in coordination with AUMCO’s Business Development Cluster, procurement, administration, HR and finance teams.

1. Key functions:

● Support UNOPS in establishing and maintaining relations with Tajikistan’s government entities through continuous networking and communications to identify and pursue business opportunities within UNOPS thematic scope initiating the necessary arrangements;

● Provide linkages between AUMCO and various government stakeholders (DPMs, Ministers, DMs, Governors and Department Heads) paying close attention to all related protocols;

● Maintain relations with relevant government institutions and authorities;

● Assist the supervisor and other AUMCO staff missions in organizing meetings and engagements with various government stakeholders, and during meetings, follow-ups, and negotiations with donors, government and other partners and clients to achieve the most cost-effective and mutually beneficial terms for UNOPS engagements with prospective clients and partners;

● Support project teams to respond and resolve any incidents and other events that may affect projects’ implementation;

● Proactively solve conflicts and address issues and misunderstandings that could occur between UNOPS and the Government’s staff and local authorities.

2. Partnerships development and communications:

● Support UNOPS in developing relations with Tajikistan based clients, non-governmental actors, IFIs’ and other donors’ in-country offices through ongoing interactions to acquire business opportunities within UNOPS thematic scope;

● Support UNOPS efforts in developing business opportunities with potential partners, using existing information and materials, as well as inputs from and relevant to substantive discussions between UNOPS and partners;

● Collect, analyze and keep abreast of humanitarian and development trends and needs in Tajikistan to identify areas of collaboration within UNOPS’ mandate;

● Analyze markets for business development intelligence and opportunities (facilitate assessments of partner needs, UNOPS comparative advantages, and partner survey analysis, among others);

● Contribute to the sector review and gap analysis for the potential areas of engagement based on meetings and consultations with representatives of the government, non-governmental organizations, private sector, and civil society organizations as well as through review and analysis of existing reports and publications;

● Support AUMCO in promoting high visibility of UNOPS’ activities in Tajikistan, including the development and distribution of marketing, communication, and partner relationship management materials.

● Interact actively with all existing and potential new partners and clients to follow-up on meetings, decisions, and commitments as well as to solicit feedback and gauge client satisfaction;

● Provide UNOPS activities and projects overview to government stakeholders.

3. Other general responsibilities:

● Ensure facilitation and promotion of knowledge building and knowledge sharing among colleagues;

● Collect, analyze, and utilize data and feedback to identify opportunities to improve the relationship between UNOPS and the line Ministries and government institutions within Tajikistan;

● Perform other duties as directed by the supervisor to support UNOPS AUMCO’s outreach and business development activities in Tajikistan and other Central Asian countries, if required.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education:

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Business Administration, Public Relations, Communications, International Relations, Law, Political Science or related fields is required.
• Bachelor’s degree with additional 2 years of experience may be accepted in lieu of a Master’s degree.

Experience:

• Minimum 4 years of work experience in a related role or working with the government in Tajikistan is required, international experience is a distinct advantage.
• Strong networks in Tajikistan and other Central Asian countries desired.
• Good knowledge and understanding of government settings/functions at both national, state and county level is an asset.
• Familiarity with healthcare, infrastructure and/or public procurement sectors is desirable.
• Ability to establish and nurture beneficial partnerships with key government stakeholders is an asset.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Language Requirements:

• Full working knowledge of English and Tajik are essential.
• Fluency in one or more additional official UN languages is an advantage.

Contract type, level and duration

Contract type: Local Contract Agreement, Retainer Contract level: ICS-09 / LICA-09 Contract duration: Retainer, Renewable, depending on performance and budget availability

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link: https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx

Competencies

Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.

Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles.

Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role).

Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries.

Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements.

Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving.

Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

Additional Considerations

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (around 4 hours) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS.
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.